quintic ball roll v3

www.quinticballroll.com

Quintic Ball Roll v3.4 The Launch Monitor for Putting


Introduction

The putter… the most used club in the bag but the most overlooked part of the average golfer’s

practice. Golfers around the world are using the technology available in todays market to help

analyse and improve their golf swing. Technology has transformed golf tuition and club fitting,

offering golfers three dimensional frame by frame swing analysis, high-speed video and precise

spin rates and launch angles that apply to the golf ball after impact. However, when it comes to

putting, rather than analysing what our putting stroke and the ball are doing in detail, we simply opt

to buy another putter with little more than hope (as well as what it looks like, brand name etc) as to

whether it will truly improve our putting performance. How the putter and golf ball interact is

crucial for success on the greens…

Quintic Ball Roll Technology

The brains behind the Quintic software is Dr Paul Hurrion. Paul’s passion for golf has led him to

specialise in putting biomechanics analysis and consultancy, assisting European Tour

Professionals, holding PGA accredited Putting Clinics and being an invited Member of the Titleist

Performance Institute’s Advisory Panel. He is probably best known for his work since 2002 with

Padraig Harrington. Paul has also worked with many other top Tour Professionals including Rory

McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Paul McGinley, David Howell, Danny Willett, Oliver Fisher, Robert-Jan

Derksen, Darren Clarke, Henrik Stenson and Oliver Wilson.

Quintic Consultancy Ltd specialises in Premier Sports Biomechanics Video Analysis Software,

Sports Biomechanics & Performance Analysis Consultancy. It is through our extensive

biomechanics consultancy and constant liaison in the fields of elite golf performance analysis and

coaching that our Quintic Ball Roll software has evolved.

Our latest Quintic Ball Roll software and hardware system has been designed to meet the various

needs of our wide range of clients - including Club manufacturers, Teaching professionals,

Universities, Research and Development and of course the golfer themselves. It is this unique

contact that allows us to produce easy to use, market leading putting analysis software that

specialises in the performance of the golf club and ball during impact.


What is Quintic Ball Roll Software all about?

Quintic Ball Roll software utilises a high-speed camera (up to 360 frames per second) tracking the

golf ball for the first 16 inches (roughly 40cm) of the putt and the putter head, both pre and post

impact. The software then automatically provides all of the information you need regarding the

putter and ball, both graphically and numerically, in a way that was formerly only available in full

swing analysis software for irons and woods. Following a simple calibration procedure (right or

left handed golfers), the Quintic software can be used indoors in a controlled putting studio or

outdoors on the putting green with the same degree of accuracy. There is also an option to measure

just the ball performance, a new feature for May 2014.

Quintic Ball Roll v3.4 software instantly shows:

• Impact Club Speed

• Shaft Angle

• Attack Angle

• Face Angle & Face Rotation (including the amount of Face deflection as a result of impact!)

• Dynamic Lie (change from Address position)

• Impact Ratio

• Impact Ball Speed & Ball Speed during the first 16 inches of the putt

• Launch Angle & Vertical Bounce

• Skid, Backspin & Roll (Angular rotation & revolutions per minute)

• Hook or Slice Side Spin

• The point of Zero Skid / Time to Zero Skid

• Push & Pull

• The average of up to 21 putts including the range & standard deviation, for easy comparison

of putters and putting technique.

• Create a PDF summary report.

Quintic Ball Roll v3.4 – Free 21 Day Trial Version


To use the FREE 21 Day Trial simply:

• Download and install the program – QuinticBallRollv3.4Setup.exe from the website:

www.quinticballroll.com (Link on Home Page).

• Click ‘Save’ followed by ‘Run’ and follow the directions on the screen to install the Quintic

software.

• Once the install shield wizard is complete click ‘Finish’.

• A new icon has been created on your desktop called ‘Quintic Ball Roll v3.4’.

• Double click on the icon.

• Click on “Register later” to access the program for up to 21 days.

• Open the example files via the “Yellow Folder” icon in the top left hand of the window.

• Choose from one of the three sample folders, Inside-Ball&Club / Outside-Ball Only / Robot-

Ball&Club and then select an example putt. Please �ote: Outside Ball Only – you will need

to Set Putter Analysis – Off (via Help menu) to view these particular putts.

• The selected putt will load into the Quintic Ball Roll v3.4 program.

• View the statistical analysis of both the putter and ball data.

• View the frame by frame movement of the ball and putter.

The FREE 21-Day Trial Version of the Quintic Ball Roll v3.4 program has a number of sample

putts you can view and analyse. In addition there are three example putting sessions collected from

two European PGA Tour Players, along with data from the Quintic putting robot. To access the

information, click on the Summary Tab, click on the yellow folder to open the pdf file from the

three example folders.

(Please �ote: It is not possible to film and record your own putting strokes within the FREE 21-

Day Trial of Quintic Ball Roll v3.4 software).

Think how you would use Quintic Ball Roll?

• Putter fitting and recommendation

• To aid putter sales

• For analysis and coaching of putting technique

• Increase the price of your putting lessons

• Detailed analysis with statistics and graphs to back up your observations


Button Functions:

• Underneath the main video image, on the left are Play, Pause, Reset and Scroll Bar. These

buttons enable individual frames to be viewed (with composite turned off). It is also possible

to scroll frame by frame by clicking on the arrows on the scroll bar, or 10 frames per click

(inside the scroll bar).

• Frame Number : Please note ‘Impact’ is always between frames 1-2

• Putter Trajectory, cross hairs and line drawing from the club head markers.

• Snail Trail, 1 - 50 frames following the trajectory of the four club markers.

• The Ball icon will put a red circle (with a red crosshair) around the ball showing you the

current frame. You can use this feature to accurately locate the impact position of the putter

face and golf ball.

• The Marker icon will put the 3 X's on the dots of the ball for the frame you are on. You can

use this feature to see if it missed a dot in any of the frames.

• The Roll icon turns on and off the green line through the two dots indicating skid and roll.

• The Composite icon switches you between seeing all the balls (every third image) or just one

ball in a single frame.

• Centre of the Ball trajectory shows you the vertical bounce of the ball.

• The Loop icon, when active, will continually loop the video when in ‘Slow Motion’ play

mode.

• The Camera icon enables the user to create a single jpeg image of the current screen. It is

possible to copy, save or print the screenshot.

• The Video Camera icon enables the user to create a frame by frame video file of the current

putt. It is then possible to copy or email this video to your client, and it can be played in our

Free Quintic Player software. (Please �ote: due to the exceptionally high quality of these

video files, exports may have to be out through a file converter to compress them before they

can be sent via email. Please contact Quintic for recommendations on file converters).

• State – Putt Analysis 100% frames valid (This means all of the recorded frames and markers

have been correctly identified)

• Right Hand / Left Hand Putt.

• 364.52 fps – Actual Recording Speed of the USB3 Camera.

• First Bounce at 3.41inches : The distance the ball has travelled in the air before making its first

contact with the ground.

• It is possible to create your own company logo (Top Right hand corner of the screen). Please

email [email protected] for instructions of how to do this.

Main Page Results:

• Impact Club Speed: the velocity of the club head at impact. This is a very simple tool for

determining if the golfer is swinging the golf club consistently. Have a person take ten putts of the

same distance. If, for example, the results show a range of more than 0.5 mph on a fifteen foot putt

then there is likely to be an issue with pace control for that golfer. Factors to consider would be

tempo, length of backswing and through swing, along with the amount of acceleration of the club

head prior to impact.

• Pre- Impact Speed: Constant, Accelerating/De-Accelerating, Accelerating/De-Accelerating :

The acceleration of the putter is classified by the Quintic software as constant, acceleration and

deceleration. Quintic also categorises them in green, amber and red. In a pendulum stroke the speed


around impact should be constant (Green) – there should not be any acceleration or deceleration of

the putter head. When the putter accelerates, the ball position again becomes a significant factor for

pace control. In the example putt below we can see the club head is accelerating through impact.

(Red). The velocity graph for this putt shows how there has been a 0.1 ms-1

increase in club head

speed during the last three inches before impact.

Causes of too much Acceleration

• Too short a backswing, leading to a rapid acceleration during the downswing

• Poor Tempo / Rhythm

• Manipulation of the club with both lead and trail wrists – poor shoulder movement

• Incorrect ball position – the ball should be position at the bottom of the arc

Quintic have found that good long distance putters will maintain a constant (Green) or at very least

a gradual acceleration (Amber) through impact. The image below is a constant velocity (no

acceleration or deceleration) prior to impact.


• Shaft Angle: In the example putt below we can see that the shaft is leaning backwards 2.74

degrees from the vertical. This in combination with a positive attack angle (0.83º) means that the

ball has been struck on the up stroke which creates a dramatically increased launch angle of 4.60

degrees. Despite the club having 2 degrees of static loft, the impact dynamics cause the ball to

become airborne for the first 3.77 inches. The ball launches over 0.2 inches in the air! The ball then

bounces for a further 4 inches after contact and continues to bounce after 16 inches. This

significantly increases the time the ball takes to get to Zero Skid (27 inches) and makes distance

control extremely difficult for the golfer. Is the consistency of the green the same? Will the golf

ball jump on any spike marks within the first 3.77 inches? However, more importantly the surface

of the green the ball lands upon will dramatically influence its final position. For example, does the

ball land on a down slope, up slope, side slope or even into or down grain?

Causes of the Shaft Leaning Back

• Incorrect Ball Position – the ball is too far forward in the stance.

• The wrists become too active – they flip through impact.

• Incorrect putter design (static loft) for your style of stroke.

Do you actually know the static loft of your putter? The majority of golf professionals

unfortunately don’t!


In some cases, players like to have a forward lean on their putter shaft – Phil Mickelson for

example. With a 6 degree shaft lean at impact, he requires a combination of positive attack angle

and static loft of the putter to create a positive launch angle (1 degree) of the golf ball. It is also

possible to create a positive 1 degree launch angle of the golf ball with a negative shaft angle

(leaning backwards at impact). What would be the static loft of the putter in this instance?

Remember, we don't want a negative attack angle, as this will trap the golf ball into the ground,

create large over spin values and potential bounce even higher after being driven into the ground.

Also it is worth pointing out, a player’s address position and impact position maybe different! (a

forward press for example). Quintic Ball Roll v3.4 measures either the shaft angle at impact

relative to the vertical or the shaft angle at address relative to impact – it is your choice.

Causes of the Shaft Leaning Forward

• Too much weight on the front foot.

• Ball too far back in the stance.

• A large forward press at address.

• Incorrect putter design for your stroke.

• Attack Angle: The putter can be swung from one pivot point (a single pendulum, typically the

anchoring of a belly / long putter) or it can involve multiple pivot points making it a double or even

triple pendulum. A single pendulum action allows the player to control the stroke directly from one

pivot point. This will ensure a consistent 'Attack Angle', with ball position the only variable as to

whether it is struck on the upswing, downswing or the bottom of the arc.

With a long putter, this pivot point will be the anchored ‘butt’ end of the putter; and with a shorter

putter, the effective pivot point will be positioned somewhere on the upper trunk. When a golfer

manipulates the putter with wrist break and /or elbow movement then a double or even triple

pendulum effect is created through the additional pivot points at the wrists and elbows. In the

majority of putting actions this scenario is complicated by lateral motion of pivot points caused by


golfers allowing their bodies or legs to move. All of these variables affect the 'Attack Angle' of the

putter at the point of impact.

Ideally, we are looking for consistency, however, ideally Quintic would recommend an Attack

Angle of between 0.5 – 1.5 degrees. Any negative 'Attack Angle' will create a descending blow and

an inconsistency in the launch angle. The below example is 2.72 degrees at impact.

• Face Angle: A putter face that is 2 degrees open at impact will miss the hole from 5 feet! For a

putt to go in at 8 feet the angle of the face needs to less than 1 degree open or closed. Increase the

distance to 15 feet and the putter face needs to less than 0.5 of a degree open or closed. Can you

tell the difference between 1 degree closed or open to your target line?

Quintic undertook a study to explain which is the more influential and by how much? To download

the article please click here : A Rolling Brief http://paulhurrion.com/wp-

content/uploads/2012/07/GFI111_Inst.Putt_.pdf Interestingly, our study proved that Face Angle at

impact accounted for as much as 90-92% of the starting direction of putts (centre strike with a two

degree dynamic loft at impact). The question, then, is how does this translate into making or

missing putts? The Push / Pull data below shows the angular margin for error within which a putt

will still succeed.


�ote: From more than 8 feet a single degree closed or open will cause the ball to miss – it is very

difficult with the naked eye to see the difference between a putter that is square as opposed to one

degree open or closed. No wonder the percentage of putts made on the PGA Tour drops off so

quickly after 8 feet...

• Face Rotation: Is the speed at which the club face opens or closes during impact. It is calculated

an average of 6 frames prior to impact.

In the left hand example putt above the face has rotated a large degree through impact (29.14°/sec).

With this degree of rotation ball position becomes more important. From the Club Data graph we

can see that at 1 inch before impact the face is 0.5 degrees open – 1 inch after impact and the face

has rotated 0.5 of a degree closed. When the putter face stays square through the impact area ball

position becomes less important. In the Club Data graph (right hand image) the face angle is square

2 inches before and after the ball impact.

Causes of too much Face Rotation

• Upper spine angle is too upright, Too much forearm rotation.

• Manipulation of the wrists (‘flipping’).

• Anchor point of the putter is too low – commonly found with the belly putter

• Does it become harder to start the ball on your intended line with a club face that is rotating

significantly?


• Face Twist: The amount the club face twists as a result of the impact collision with the golf ball.

In the three examples below, the first highlights a centre strike, with minimal club face twist 0.07

degrees. The second example shows the ball being struck out of the heel (resulting in the club face

closing -1.23º) with the third example being struck towards the toe and as a result opening 0.63º

and imparting unwanted side spin (hook) as a result, otherwise referred to as ‘the gear effect’.


• Impact Ratio: Controlling the speed and energy transfer of the putter at impact is vital for

distance control and good green reading.

Because putting is such a significant part of golf, the ability to strike the putter consistently out of

the ‘sweet spot’ is crucial. The ‘sweet spot’ is the point on the clubface where contact is the most

solid, eliminating the rotation and wobble of the putter during impact. By striking the ball out of

the ‘sweet spot’ the maximum energy possible from the club will be transferred into the ball. It is

possible for a player to miss the ‘sweet spot’ in both the vertical plane (bottom or top of the putter

face) along with the horizontal plane (Heel or Toe of the putter face). If the golfer misses the

‘sweet spot’ by even a fraction, this will result in a miss-hit and a reduction in energy transfer to

the golf ball (club face twist). The more consistent a player can be in transferring energy to the golf

ball, the greater control they will have on the speed of the golf ball. The distance a golf ball travels

is determined by speed. The speed of the ball, dictates how much the ball will break and therefore

the line of the putt. Consistently striking the ball out of the ‘sweet spot’, will greatly improve a

player's ‘touch and feel’.

"Every putt is a straight putt – it just depends on how hard you hit the putt as to

whether the ball takes the break or not. Most three putts aren’t caused by bad green

reading, but by bad judgement of speed"

(Ben Crenshaw, 1981).

A ‘sweet spot’ putt involves two variables;

• putts struck on the same area of the face

• ensuring that the striking surface is 100% square to the target line during impact (non-

glancing blow)

The 'Impact Ratio' is the amount of energy that is transferred from the club to the ball at impact.

For example: Impact Ball Speed (6.26 mph) / Impact Club Speed (3.82 mph) = 1.64

Factors which will affect this include the type of contact between the club head and the ball. If the

centre of mass of the club head does not make contact with the centre of mass of the club head at

impact then the impact ratio will be reduced (See Table below). This inconsistency in strike pattern

also highlights how difficult it will be for the player to control the speed of the golf ball. The

distance a golf ball travels is determined by speed. The speed of the ball, dictates how much the

ball will break and therefore the line of the putt.

Factors affecting Impact Ratio

· Off Centre Strikes (as measured by Club Head Twist)

· Type of Material of Putter Face – softer materials (e.g. inserts) will reduce the Impact Ratio

· Type of Ball used

· Grip Pressure

· To a lesser extent, the temperature of the ball.

TOE CE�TRE HEEL

LOW 1.59 1.64 1.37

CE�TRE 1.62 1.71 1.53

HIGH 1.60 1.65 1.50


A very simple drill, involving 'lipstick' can be used to see if the ball is being struck on the centre of

the clubface. Simply smear lipstick on the face of the club. Hit a putt and see where the ball is

being struck by the mark that is left.

• Impact Ball Speed: the average speed of the ball during the first 6 frames. This is a very good

tool for determining if the golfer is hitting the ball consistently in the same spot on the putter.

Have a person take ten putts of the same distance. If for example, the results show a range of

more than 1 mph on a fifteen foot putt (0.5 mph on an 8 foot putt), then there is likely to be an

issue with pace control for that golfer. Factors to consider would be, not always hitting the ball

on the same spot (hopefully sweet spot) on the putter face, inconsistent ball position, too much

acceleration or deceleration in the stroke. One suggestion would be to try using a putter with a

bigger sweet spot? Every putt is a straight putt, so unless the golfer has good pace control

(consistent energy transfer from club to ball) then it will be very difficult to read a green

correctly. It is also possible using the Ball Speed tab and graph, to view the ball speed over the

first 16 inches. It is interesting to note how the ball does not lose speed while it is in the air but

does as a result of its contact with the ground. The smoother the ball rolls out, the more

consistent and predictable to control distance.

• Dynamic Lie Angle: provides you with the change in lie angle from the calibrated position of the

golf club. This is helpful to see if the toe of the putter is getter higher in the air at impact,

compared with address (or visa versa). Are the hands of the player dropping, or is it a total body

movement that causes the putter to change its position? Lie Angle change of less than 0.5

degrees will be shown as Green (either positive or negative) between 0.5 and 1.5 degrees the

number will turn Orange, but over 1.5 degrees the number will turn Red.

+ve indicates the toe of the putter has gone up in the air (heel up) – hands lower

–ve indicates the toe of the putter has gone down (heel up) – hands higher

• Launch Angle: provides you with the launch angle of the ball leaving the putter face. This is

helpful to see if the ball is going too high in the air or being driven downwards into the ground

and bouncing back up! The ideal launch angle is based upon the green speed and type of grass;

however ideally you are looking for a launch angle of between 0.5 degrees and 2.0 degrees

(Green). Between 2.0 and 2.5 degrees the number will turn Orange, but over 2.5 and the

number will turn Red! The goal of launch angle in putting is to get the ball up out of the “nest”

of grass it is sitting in just high enough to ride up on top of it. If you launch the ball to high, it is

more likely to bounce when it lands and not roll smoothly. If it isn’t launched high enough the

grass may pop the ball up causing an unexpected loss in speed and again not allowing a smooth

roll. For further analysis of the Launch Angle, click on the ‘Launch Angle’ Tab.


If you see ***** to the right of the launch angle number on some putts, this refers to a potential

negative strike, if the golf ball comes off with more than 100RPM, there is a very strong chance

the ball has been trapped in the surface, or even hit down into the ground to create such a high

amount of over spin. It is also advisable to watch the first and second bounces as in many cases

the second bounce is actually higher than the first bounce! In the example below, the launch

angle is -0.24º, the ball goes in the surface then pops up at 1.5inches with the first bounce at

3.65 inches.

• Cut (+) / Hook (-) Spin: will tell you whether they are putting cut or hook spin on their putts.

Again have the golfer hit 10 putts and look for patterns. If the spin rate is between 10–20 rpm

(either cut or hook) the number will turn Orange, anything over 20 rpm it will turn Red, under

10 rpm it will be Green. Anything under 20 rpm either cut or hook is an acceptable degree of

spin and will not have a significant effect on the path of the ball. Once the RPM starts to go

above 20 rpm you may need to change the fitting of the putter: for example lie angle, face

balanced vs. toe heavy to correct the spin rate without changing the technique of the golfer.

However, if you have a SPIN rate over 60 rpm, you may need to also fix/address their putting

stroke…. Greater than 20 rpm of Cut or Hook spin is enough side spin to cause the golf ball to

change its intended path (i.e. miss the hole) when putting over a distance of 10ft!


• Initial Ball Roll: the average rotation of the golf ball during the first 4 frames after Impact. For

example, the Initial Ball Roll calculation for the example below is as follows:

Frame 2-3 + 3-4 + 4-5 + 5-6 = (46.57 + 63.80 + 81.02 + 78.61) / 4 = 67.5 RPM

• Start of Forward Rotation: will tell you whether the golf ball has positive rotation or negative

rotation at the point of impact. In certain instances during impact, the golf ball is imparted with

backspin and hence has a negative rotation. In this instance the ‘Start of Forward Rotation’ is

the point the ball stops spinning backwards and starts to rotate forwards due to the friction with

the surface.

• Zero Skid After: Our definition of zero skid is the point where all skid has been eliminated from

the golf ball’s roll. This occurs when the golf ball rotate 360 degrees every 5.25 inches (the

circumference of the golf ball). Even a 7 iron ‘bump and run shot’ will eventually achieve

100% zero skid. Research undertaken at Quintic Consultancy Ltd, has shown that the sooner a

ball achieves zero skid, the more consistent the ball is at holding its intended path. For example,

compare two putts of the same distance:

• Putt 1, 190 degrees forward rotation at 12 inches, 35 RPM of cut spin.

• Putt 2, 165 degrees forward rotation at 12 inches, 2 RPM of hook spin.

Which putt achieves Zero Skid the earliest?

The answer is Putt 2. Side spin is detrimental when trying to maximize the point of 100% Zero

Skid (no skid!). Zero Skid is ultimately what the design of the putter and your stroke mechanics

should be trying to achieve. The ideal Zero Skid number is approximately 10% to 20% of the

distance of the putt, depending on green speed. For example a 20ft putt should be able to

achieve Zero Skid by 2ft (24 inches) on a fast, smooth surface…

• Time to Zero Skid: This is the time taken from impact, until zero skid has been achieved. This

occurs when the golf ball rotate 360 degrees every 5.25 inches (the circumference of the golf ball).

• Vertical Bounce Graph: Displayed underneath the main video image.This is helpful to see if the

person is launching the ball into the air, or driving it into the ground. Also included is the specific

speed of the ball at each frame number. This information will help identify what loft they need on

their putter to get a smooth roll. Try not to go into the RED! In the example below, the ball has

landed at 4 inches, then jumped, landed and 9.5 inches and a third time at 14 inches – it has only

been in contact with the ground on three occasions during the first 16” of its journey.


Ball Data Tab:

• Roll Angle: Gives you the numbers for each inch (1 to 16) travelled. Inches 8 and 16 are

highlighted in yellow so you can use as quick comparison against other putts, technical changes

or other putter styles.

This particular graph ‘Ball Roll (Total)’ highlights the Frame Number, Distance, Roll and RPM

values for each frame number. (In the example below; Frame: 17.00, Distance: 4.08, Roll: -8.70

Degrees, RPM: -1.28). ‘Returned to start position’ (Red box = red vertical line) refers to fact the

golf ball has been struck with a small amount of backspin, in this example the golf ball has

rotated backwards, then forwards and returned back to its original Roll Angle (0 degrees) at 6.52

inches.

The black vertical line on the graph indicates the individual Frame Number (displayed on the

video: in the example below Frame 17), Distance the ball has travelled along with the Roll

(degrees) and RPM.

How does ball roll in degrees correlate with ball rpm values? RPM is the revolutions per

minute; it is the difference in the angle between each frame 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5... (We know the

frame speed - 360fps) and hence the calculation is converted into RPM.


• Ball Speed: This graph plots the ball speed over the first 16 inches of the putt. In the example

below, the initial ball speed is 5.99 mph. The ball speed at 16 inches is 4.48 mph, resulting in a

25.22% drop in speed after impact. The type of surface you are putting on has a significant impact

in the drop off percentage (for example, putting into grain) however; it is the slope of the graph that

becomes very significant.

In the example below, after impact, there is a small drop in speed immediately after impact. This is

followed by a constant ball speed to 3 inches, this can only be achieved if the golf ball is in the air

(air resistance is significantly less than the friction created by the ball and the grass!). From 3

inches to 4 inches, there is a large drop off in ball speed, as the ball lands on the green. Imagine if

the ball was hit into the grain, the speed drop off would be even greater, down grain, not as much,

thus making judgement of pace very difficult. It becomes very difficult to judge the correct line if

the ball is jumping and slowing down inconsistently.

In an ideal situation, you should look for a constant slope for the ball speed as it slows down. Pace

determines line, a uniform deceleration of the golf ball ensures the ball is hugging the ground, thus

enables the golfer to have a better feel for pace and line.

The table below the graph, shows the ball speed during the 16 inches, and highlights the percentage

drop off between 0-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4… Two good comparison values between putts are the % drop in

speed over 16 inches and the % drop in speed at zero skid.


• Zero Skid After: Our definition of zero skid is the point where all skid has been eliminated from

the golf ball’s roll. This occurs when the golf ball rotate 360 degrees every 5.25 inches (the

circumference of the golf ball). In the example below, Zero Skid occurs at 10 inches. Notice the

change in gradient of the graph from sliding friction to rolling friction.

If time to zero skid occurs after 16”, the software predicts the point at which rate at which angular

rotation of the golf ball = the horizontal speed of the ball. Remember the ball is not slowing down

at a constant rate. The only time the software will not display a value is if the ball is airborne

(above 0.2 - Red line on the vertical bounce graph) after 12" of horizontal travel.

As general rule of thumb you should be looking to achieve zero skid after 10-15% of the putt

length. For example a 10ft putt, zero skid should occur after 1.5ft. If you are seeing values of

greater than this, launch angle, side spin, initial ball roll are all possible reasons for this value being

higher…

The distance to zero skid, time to zero skid, ball speed at zero skid and % drop in speed at zero skid

are all displayed on the Ball Speed graph.


• Push & Pull: This provides you with the predicted position of where the golf ball would have

finished (right or left of the hole) based on a 1ft to 15 ft putt. The animation of the ball is to a

distance of 8ft. The predication is based on a flat putt, there is no accounting for slope, grain, speed

of green, wind, moisture, launch angle, rotation or even side spin. In the example below, it is

predicted a 68% chance of holing the putt, with a 0% probability of missing left and a 32% chance

of missing right. The predicted position at 8 feet is 1.50 inches right of centre. The diameter of the

golf hole is 4.25 inches. The predicted angle of the putt is 0.90 degrees right of the ball to target

line, with the face angle of the putter 0.97 degrees open. This data is based on the face angle

calculations from Quintic of the putter at Impact. It is very important that the calibration of the

putter and Quintic system is performed accurately in order to produce reliable face angle data.

The example below, the predicted ball position at 4ft is 0.75 inches right and at 8ft to be 1.50

inches right of the hole. This results in an 84% chance of going in at 4ft, but only a 68% chance of

the ball going in at 8ft. The table highlights (Green) when the probability is above 55% of holing

(up to 10 ft in this example) and Orange between 45 – 55% and Red when below 45% probability

of holing the putt… Based on the data above the ball will be missing right on putts from 11ft

(48%), 12ft (54%), 13ft (59%), 14ft (65%) & 15ft (70%).


• Research: Each individual frame of the ball data can be viewed within this tab, along with a

zoomed image of the markers and ball centre. In the example below, the image is showing frame 7

(this is highlighted red in the table bottom right), the Ball centre is shown along with the vertical

bounce trajectory of the ball centre (green line).

General Functions:

• Graphs:

- Raw Data – click the icon to view the ‘Raw’ data on the graph. Hold the cursor over the line

graph to see the values at that specific point.

- Zoom In – using the mouse, left click and hold, draw a rectangle (Starting in the top left

corner) around the area of interest on the graph, the graph will zoom in to the size of the

rectangle drawn. It is then possible to use the right mouse to move around inside the

window. To return to zoom size 1, draw a rectangle (starting bottom right corner).

N.B. This is not possible for the graphs on the Club Data Tab.

• Ability to convert between metric and imperial (This feature can be found within the Help Tab)

• Ability to convert the Quintic software between Club & Ball and just Ball ONLY (This feature

can be found within the Help Tab) Set Putter Analysis On / Off (Please note: if you are

changing the mode of the software, the system will ask you to close, when you reopen the

software, it will be in the new mode selected.

• Auto-save function (This feature can be found within the Help Tab)


Ball Only

Once you have selected ball only mode, there is no requirement to calibrate the putter. It is

advisable however to ensure that the camera is set-up 90 degrees to the intended ball to target line.

Please note: no push/pull data is available in ball only mode.

File extensions are different between the two modes, so for example, it is not possible to load a ball

only putt within the ball & club mode:

Ball Only : *.hsball

Ball & Club: *hs3putt


Summary Tab:

The Putting Session Summary Function can be used to analyse multiple putts. The session can be

manually updated (the user clicks ADD) or automatically updated after each putt and saved into the

session folder (Auto Save Putts ON) Auto Save can be turned On/Off via the Help Menu. The

summary will give you the average, range, standard deviation and consistency of up to 21 putts for;

Club Ball

Pre-Impact Speed

Impact Club Speed

Shaft Angle

Attack Angle

Face Angle

Face Rotation

Impact Ratio

Ball Speed

Launch Angle

Side Spin (Cut / Hook)

Initial Ball Roll

Forward Roll

Zero Skid

Time to Zero Skid

Additionally, you have graphs for each putt covering the 'Ball Roll', 'Ball Speed', 'Vertical Bounce'

and 'Face Angle'. It is possible to save the Summary as a PDF file for review later or email to your

client. It is then possible to compare putting session results; for example, different types of putter;

before and after changes to the loft / lie / length of the putter; and to demonstrate the effect before

and after a putting lesson. It is possible to open as many of these PDF putting summaries as

required.

To create a new Putting Session;

Click on the Putting Session tab in the top left of the Main screen, then click on ‘Create Putting

Session Directory’. Name the directory you want the session to be called (ensure you are in the

correct folder before saving your session directory).

Once the folder is created, click the add button. For each new putt you would like to add to the

session, simply click on the add button and it will automatically save it to the session and name it

with the next progressive number. To analyse the putts you have saved to the summary simply

click on the summary button at the top left of the page. Along with being able to analyse the putts

you have in the summary, you can also subtract an individual putt or multiple putts from the

summary to see how the averages change. To do this, simply click on the check box of the putt(s)

you wish to remove from the analysis. The numbers will be greyed out, the line will be removed

from the graphs and the averages and deviations will automatically change. To add it back in,

simply check the box again. It is also possible to click on the 'Results' number (1-21), to load that

individual putt.


For the teaching professional it is now possible in less than twenty minutes to accurately fit a golfer

with the most suitable putter for them - not just from a lie and loft perspective but also blade vs.

mallet, centre shaft vs. heel shaft, face balanced vs. toe heavy…

For the putter manufacturer: Golfers will be both amazed and impressed by how simple and easy it

is – you merely have to stick on two paper stickers onto the club and suddenly there are tangible

results that the player can see for themselves. During recent PGA European Tour tournaments the

golf professionals just couldn’t wait to be analysed in order to enhance their putter fitting and

putting coaching capabilities.

This software is fast, easy to use, simple to calibrate, no interference with the player and the

computer does all the work for you. Quintic provide golf balls marked with three dots; however

you can even mark your own balls using a regular black permanent marker and compare the effect

of golf balls on your putting performance. The Quintic Ball Roll software recognises the marked

golf ball and the putter and tracks it immediately. When the ball leaves the video area, all the

required information appears instantly on the computer screen. It’s that simple! The interpretation

of the data and how to influence and improve the performance of the golfer is over to you (the

user).

On the following pages, there are examples of specific types of putts recorded using the software

along with key points and common causes of such putts.

Quintic Ball Roll is ‘The Launch Monitor for Putting’…


“Putting accounts for over 40% of the club golfer’s strokes and yet most players tend to

buy a putter by taking a few off the rack and trying them in the shop or on the practice

green – and often after a bad round. Until now, they could get a vague notion of the ball

skidding and then rolling forward, but there was no actual way to quantify it and the

thought of hook or cut spin on a putt rarely enters the players mind.

�ow with Quintic Ball Roll v3.4, the golfer can clearly appreciate their levels of

consistency, club speed, ball speed, spin, launch angle, roll angle… They can not only

find which putter suits them best, but with ‘a bit of work’ how changing their technique

can significantly improve their performance”.

“Putting is an art; however you must have the correct biomechanics to ensure no

manipulation is required in the arms or hands to square the club face. Attaining correct

lie and loft values of the putter itself will help the golfer, with the ultimate goal to get the

ball to roll as soon as possible with as little side spin as possible. Quintic Ball Roll

software shows me exactly what effect the putter and technique is having on the ball by

measuring the club and ball's performance (speed, attack angle, face angle, impact ratio,

ball roll, skid, launch angle, side spin...) after all this is what truly matters..."

“You have to understand what interaction the golf club is having to the golf ball in order

to fully understand putting!”

Dr Paul Hurrion


Example Putts using Quintic Ball Roll v3.4

Ideal Putt

• Below 10rpm of side spin (+2 rpm is negligible and will have no effect on the balls travel)

• The ball started forward rotation immediately after impact (23.81 rpm)

• Initial ball speed is 2.46 mph which results in the golf ball travelling approximately 8 feet on a

flat green with a Stimpmeter reading of 12.

• The point of ‘Zero Skid’ occurs after 7 inches (<10% of the travel distance).

• The Launch Angle was 1.74 degrees and the result was a smooth forward roll (23.81 rpm) for

the first 16inches.

• The ball has rotated 845º after the first 16 inches of its path, with 461 rpm of forward rotation at

this point.

• The Attack Angle was 0.45 which means the putt was struck very close to the bottom of the arc,

a very slight up-swing.

• The Shaft Angle was -0.56 meaning the shaft was very close to being vertical at impact – hands

slightly in front at impact.

• The Face angle at impact was -0.15 degrees with a minimal face rotation of (0.81º/sec) – the

Face Angle stayed very square throughout the impact zone.

• Minimal Lie angle change of 0.41º


Too Much Cut Spin

Scientific testing using a fixed robot and a high-speed camera (20,000fps) proves that up to 20 rpm

of hook or cut spin imparted to the ball is acceptable as having negligible effect. As soon as side

spin increase above 20 rpm, the side spin can cause the ball to bounce and stray from the intended

line.

This example shows the negative effect of too much cut spin on the performance of the golf ball.

The cut spin number (+41) turns RED to highlight more than an acceptable amount of cut spin

imparted on the ball at impact. Cut spin will have the effect of changing the line of the putt –

especially on sloping putts. For a right to left putt too much cut spin will reduce the effect of the

slope, for a left to right breaking putt too much cut spin will increase the break on the putt. A

combination of the putter path, face angle, impact location, negative attack angle and the model of

putter all contributed towards the high amount of cut spin. Side spin values of greater than 20

degrees can cause the ball to miss the hole from 8ft (especially will a high launch angle). Notice

the negative attack angle and the +ve lie angle change in the example below (heel of the putter is

higher than at address)

Common causes of too much cut spin

• an outside to inside putting stroke

• an open putter face at impact

• striking the putt out of the ‘heel’

• putter with lie angle too low (heel high)


Too Much Hook Spin

Scientific testing using a fixed robot and a high-speed camera (20,000fps) proves that up to 20 rpm

of hook or cut spin imparted to the ball is acceptable as having negligible effect. As soon as side

spin increase above 20 rpm, the side spin can cause the ball to bounce and stray from the intended

line.

Below, the golf ball has -31 rpm of hook spin. The given value turns RED to highlight the problem.

The increased amount of hook spin, even with a good launch angle has produced a good 'Zero Skid'

value (<10% of the putt distance). So hooking the golf ball can actually produce a quicker Zero

Skid but can still be the cause of a deflection, especially on a right to left breaking putt (right-

handed golfer). However, hook spin generally has a lower launch angle than cut spin…

Common causes of too much hook spin

• inside to outside putting stroke

• putter face closed at impact

• striking the putt out of the ‘toe’

• putter with lie angle too high (toe high)


Too Much Skid

This example shows a putt that has skidded too much. The ball doesn't start to roll forward until

2.85 inches, however, no significant forward rotation is achieved until after 4.37 inches. While the

ball is skidding it is easier for it to be deflected off line by imperfections in the green, for example,

spike marks, pitch marks, footprints, grain... This deflection will cause a putt that started on the

intended line to miss the hole and /or lose speed too quickly as a result of sliding into a slope or

grain.

The below example has an initial ball roll of -24.94 rpm and skids for the first 2.85 inches before

starting to roll forward, but a total of 4.37 inches before it is back to its original starting position.

Note: Obviously the harder a putt is struck, the more the tendency of the ball to skid...

Causes of unacceptable skid

• too much static loft on the putter

• ineffective putter face technology

• too much dynamic loft at impact

• breaking the wrist (‘flipping’) just before

impact

• having the ball too far forward in the

stance


Launch Angle too High

The ideal launch angle for most greens is between 0.75 and 2.00 degrees. Slow greens or greens

that have a lot of grain require up to 2 degrees of launch angle to get the ball up and riding on top

of the grass. If the launch angle is too high, as is the case with the putt shown below (5.43 degrees),

the ball will launch into the air, high above the grass and bounce as it's moving towards the hole.

The 5.43 degree launch angle is made up by a number of factors, firstly the shaft is 2.30 degrees

back from vertical (the club head is in front of the hands at impact), secondly a positive attack

angle of 1.39 degrees, thirdly 2 degrees of static loft on the putter face (measured independently

with a loft & lie machine) and finally impact location on the face.

While the ball is bouncing, it has a greater chance of being deflected off line by either the side

(hook or cut) spin or imperfections in the green.

Common causes of high launch angle

• too much dynamic loft at impact

• breaking the wrist (‘flipping’) just

before impact

• having the ball too far forward in the

stance

• putter with too much static loft


Launch Angle too Low

A launch angle that is too low will in fact drive the ball into the turf, depending on the type of

surface it may cause the same problems (ball bouncing as it leaves the putter) and be shown as a

high launch angle. In the example below there is a -0.75 degree launch angle, mainly due to a -3.14

degree Attack angle, with a 3.33 degree forward lean of the shaft. As a result of the negative launch

angle, the golf ball is trapped into the ground, resulting in a small jump at around 2" and a large

degree of forward rotation. If the ball is actually hit with negative loft, the software will turn the

launch angle value Red.

If you see ***** as the launch angle on some putts, this refers to a potential negative strike. If you

are putting on a hard (indoor) surface, it is impossible for the ball to go into the ground, therefore it

becomes trapped with the artificial surface and over spin is created. If more than 100 RPM of over

spin is recorded by Quintic, there is a strong chance the ball has been hit down into the ground to

create such a high value. It is advisable to watch the first and second bounces if this occurs. In

many cases the second bounce is higher than the first bounce! (Just like a forehand tennis shot).

Common causes of low launch angle

• not enough dynamic loft at impact

• hitting down on the ball with the putting

stroke

• having the ball too far back in the stance

• the putter not having enough static loft

�ote: The majority of putters come as standard with 3 or 4 degrees of static loft. This may or may

not be right for you. Analysing your personal putting stroke, your own hand position at address and

impact and your preferred ball position and attack angle will allow for the correct calculation of

loft for your putter. (That's if you can repeat it consistently!)


"The Quintic Ball Roll Analysis Software provides unique data on how your golf ball reacts

after impact. This information is invaluable when custom fitting your putter or improving the

dynamics of your putting stroke"

Padraig Harrington

"Quintic Ball Roll is the equivalent of 'Trackman' for Putting... It tells me the speed, spin and

launch conditions of the ball as it leaves the putter face. The data is vital for checking my stroke

mechanics"

Robert-Jan Derksen

Since we attended a PGA Seminar with Dr. Paul Hurrion we have a new found passion for

teaching putting. We now have a systematic way of working out why people putt poorly by

looking at how the ball performs as soon as it leaves the putter face. As a result of this

relationship with Dr. Paul Hurrion we have increased our putter sales enormously and our

reputation for giving excellent putting lessons has improved more than we could ever have

imagined – I can’t thank the Doc enough for what he’s done for us. �ot only that, my putting

has improved hugely because I am working on the correct things."

Billy Fyfe - Director of Instruction, The Aspire Golf Centre, Aberdeen, Scotland

"We had the Quintic Ball Roll software installed at the London Putting Academy at the start of

the year and it has been of huge benefit to every aspect of our business. It's simple to use and

easy to understand data makes identifying any error within the stroke or the putter's suitability

simple and measuring the improvements becomes a science rather than guesswork. Our putter

sales have increased dramatically as it isn't a case of us convincing the golfer that a new putter

can improve their fortune on the green – the numbers don't lie and improved ball roll data will

lead to improved putting performance. On the coaching side it is great to be able to keep a vault

of information and show a golfer how they have improved over time which in turn results in

satisfied customers and increased lesson bookings. Quintic Ball Roll has become an integral

part of everything we do at the London Putting Academy and I would recommend it to any coach

or player who is serious about getting the most from their putting performance."

Matt Johns - London Putting Academy, Royal Blackheath Golf Club, Eltham, London

"I cannot thank you enough for all your help over the last few weeks; I am very excited to add

Quintic’s Ball Roll Software to my Putting Academy at The Club at Cordillera! The data

provided by your system adds much more credibility to the skid and roll videos that I show each

client currently. This information offers each student the true “Facts �OT Opinions” about

their stroke. It is really nice to actually be able to quantify what is happening as we alter a

putter’s lie, loft, and length over time. Quintic is on the verge of something great with this simple

analysis tool - every serious teacher should have this software on their computer!"

Tom F. Stickney II - The Club at Cordillera

"I sold more putters in the first month I used the Quintic Ball Roll software than I did the entire

previous year. It is so fast and easy to use, and gives you the results needed instantly. It

completely verifies which putter is right for each customer. Thank you for putting life back into

my putter sales"

Eric Simonson - Pro Vision Golf

quintic ball roll v3

Documents